


Boy Meets Girl & Girl Beats Boy

by latenightdrabbles



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bruce Has Issues, Bruce Needs a Hug, Eventual Romance, F/M, Meet-Cute, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:48:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24658624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/latenightdrabbles/pseuds/latenightdrabbles
Summary: Bruce meets Natasha at a women’s self defense class.
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	1. Boy Meets Girl, Girl Beats Boy

Banner: “Avoiding stress isn't the secret”  
Romanov: “Then what is it? Yoga?” -(Avengers 2012) 

A scruffy middle aged man with peppered hair stumbled into her class, notably late. Natasha (Nat) hadn’t seen him before, but gave him a swift nod of the head, not skipping a beat in her instruction. Her clients’ eyes followed her every move as she spoke much like a feline in her streamline all black ensemble her movements seemed inherently sensual yet powerful. This particular course on basic self defense was one of Nat’s most popular classes; especially, among her female clientele. Hence why “Mystery Man’s” late arrival was surprising to say the least. Obviously everyone was welcome to attend her classes, men, women, and anyone in between. But with that being said Natasha was notorious for picking on the late new comers regardless of gender. 

“Okay, so i’m going to need a volunteer for this next move,” Nat said, craning her neck and scanning the room for her next victim *I mean volunteer* before setting her sights on “Mystery Man” saying, “Guy in the back” while pointing in his direction. 

He sheepishly pointed at himself and looked around in confusion; not sure if she was referring to him.

“Yeah you” She said cheerfully. “Don’t be shy” Beckoning him forward with a wave of the hand. 

The room parted making a path for him. Nat’s lips quirked at how he was met with both similes and glares by the women in the room. When he got to the front of the class he towered over Nat’s smaller frame, but his hunched shoulders appeared to dwarf him in a profound way making him appear meek. His over-sized heathered gray shirt, navy sweatpants, and bulky black glasses made him look tired beyond his years, but his crooked smile had Nat instinctively smiling back before she realized what she was doing. This was odd for Nat because almost everything she did was measured and calculated especially when on the job as well as when she interacted with masculine presenting people. 

“Thanks for volunteering!” She said firmly shaking his notably calloused outstretched hand. “Before we get started. Would you kindly state your name to the class?” she said, looking up at him with a polite smile. 

“My name’s Bruce. . . Bruce Banner” He said with a shrug, ducking his head as he waved to the class. 

“Thanks for volunteering for today’s demonstration, Bruce.” She said cheerfully then continued saying, “First things first let’s go over the optimal places for attack starting with the head and ending with the nether regions” she said with a smirk. 

She proceeded to mimic jabbing and striking the 13 pressure points using Bruce as her reference. As she went she’d explain each point twice, first by pointing then by mimicking a striking motion. Despite his meek demeanor Nat noted how Bruce never appeared to budge, flinch, or blink for that matter. 

Bruce’s stiff but stoic demeanor didn’t break until Nat reached his throat mimicking a jab with the wedge of her hand triggering a visceral reaction. Reaching out with an iron grip Bruce clamped his hand around her forearm hard enough to bruise. Nat’s cat-like reflexes showed no mercy. She quickly used his body weight against him, flipping him to the mat with a loud thwack. Once on the ground they froze peering into each others’ unyielding eyes. Nat seemed to enter another head-space where Bruce's heart beat seemed more amplified pounding in her ears.The moment of pause quickly broke when Bruce Adam’s apple bobbed under the pressure and Nat gasped in shock at what she had done. 

Before she could muster a flustered apology Bruce used the little bit of air that wasn’t knocked out of him to say, “Sorry I don’t know what happened.” 

Nat shook her head saying, “Nonsense, I’m so sorry I don’t know what came over me” slowly helping him up from the mat. Nat nervously told the class to take five while she tended to Bruce and profusely apologized for the mishap. 

Once everyone seemed more interested in chatting Nat pulled Bruce to the side. 

“Are you okay? Do you need medical attention?” Nat asked with a furrowed brow. 

“Seriously I’m fine. You did nothing wrong I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that” Bruce said apologetically. 

Class continued with it’s regular programming and Bruce continued being Nat’s volunteer despite her protests.

At the end of class after everyone had packed up and said their goodbyes Nat was in the studio alone trying to get her story straight before seeing her boss when Bruce approached her. He nervously shifted his weight and clasped his hands together when he cleared his throat. 

“Sorry to bother you again. But I just wanted to apologize again for earlier. I really crossed the line.” He said. 

“No, please don’t feel like you have to apologize. I'm the one that body slammed you, remember?” She said with a nervous chuckle. 

“Yeah, you did. Didn't you?” he said rubbing his neck letting out a genuine laugh. “For what’s it’s worth I really enjoyed your class”. 

“Oh really? That means a lot. In that case let me just. . .” she paused fishing out a business card “give you my card. I offer private lessons and exclusive courses in Jiu jitsu, Aikido,Boxing,Judo, Karate, Savate, and Ninjutsu” she said with a smile. 

“I might actually take you up on that.” He said studying the crisp black business card “I don’t do great in group settings” he confessed flashing a small smile. 

Nat gave a sympathetic nod having had been there at one point or another. Realizing the room was empty with a small duck of the head Bruce quickly gathered his wits and left the studio not stopping to study the business card until he had reached his car.


	2. Little Natasha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nat has a platonic lunch date with Clint, and Bruce asks Nat out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoy the second chapter! Just as disclaimer I do not own the the characters depicted in this series! With that being said please feel free to comment or leave a kudos if you feel so inclined. I'm still very new to creative writing so please show some mercy on me.

Natasha Romanoff: And how’s little Natasha? 

Laura: [holding her stomach] She’s. . .Nathaniel. 

Natasha Romanoff: [to womb] Traitor. -(Avengers: Age of Ultron 2015)

One harsh scolding and a write up later Natasha was relatively in the clear after what was coined as, “the incident”. She felt extremely guilty and cagey despite how understanding Bruce was. In the heat of the moment she felt like some sort of wild animal when she looked up at the faces of her frightened clients.

While waiting for her emotions to mellow out Nat paced around her bike, mulling over the evening’s events in the studio parking lot. The night air was brisk, and the lot was silent except for the subtle hum of the lights and the bugs that swirled around them. Nat debated calling Clint to rant, but it was kinda late and she didn’t want to impede. With a huff Nat threw her leg over her matte black crotch rocket, stuffed her hair into a bulky helmet, and peeled out of the empty lot. 

As she sped through the city the cool night air pierced through her thin leather jacket and burned the peaks of her exposed knuckles. 

After a warm meal and a long shower Nat plopped down on the couch for a binge session of NCIS. Her auburn hair was in two damp braids and the top of her black silk, striped pajama set gleamed in the blue light of the television screen while the rest of her remained covered under a heap of blankets. When mindlessly playing on her phone it suddenly chimed with a text from Clint saying,  
Yo, wanna grab lunch tomorrow?

Perking up from her nest of blankets and pillows she quickly replied saying,  
“YES! Please! I’ve got a gap in my sched 11:15-12:30.” 

Within moments he replied with,  
Great. Wanna grub at that new Sushi place downtown, Rolltopia?

Nat, nearly salivating at the mention of sushi, replying in a heartbeat saying,  
Oh God yes!!

With their weekly lunch date in place Nat was lulled to sleep with images of spicy crunchy rolls on the mind and the sound of NCIS reruns droning on in the background. 

~~~~~~  
Natasha woke with a start, springing up from the couch with a gasp while clutching at her chest. Once she realized she was in the safety of her apartment she leaned back against the couch cushions letting out an audible sigh. She then flung back the pile of throw blankets and pillows, jumped up once again and checked for the handgun she had strapped securely under the coffee table. She silently crept across her small living room, pressed herself to the wall next to the window facing the street, and slowly pulled back her black out curtains peering out at the sidewalk below. At this hour the sun still hadn’t risen so the city scape below was cast in a gloomy blue film. Once her paranoia was somewhat entertained she begrudgingly decided to start her day knowing good and well she was too riled up to head back to sleep.

Her day turned around once she made it to the studio and everyone had the common courtesy to act like she didn’t attack a client the day prior. All of her morning classes were small and she felt very chipper after her personal training session, and guzzling down two cups of black coffee. She also had her lunch date with Clint to look forward to. He always managed to brighten her day no matter how bad it had been. They’d drink, talk shit, gush over pictures of Clints kids, and chat about the shows they’ve been bingeing lately. Before leaving the studio she gave pause to a text from an unknown number. She was running slightly late and only had 15 minutes to make it across town, so she decided to wait until she arrived at the restaurant to reply. 

The timing of her arrival was perfect. The moment she dismounted in front of Rolltopia, Clint was climbing out of his Honda Element. Clint flashed a bright smile in her direction as he approached, pulling Nat into one of his legendary deep hugs. They both held on for a moment, exchanging their usual greetings. 

Once they were settled at their table with their less then virginal drinks by a huge fish tank Nat cracked a knowing smile saying,

“Soooo is it a girl or a boy?” She said. Having had remembered Laura’s prenatal doctor’s appointment Nat was eager to learn the gender of the new addition to the family. 

Clint leaned back in his chair and whispered, “Guess.”

“Hmm. . .is it a girl? She said, with a hopeful expression before saying, “You know I’ve been holding out for a little Nat 2.0 I can spoil.” 

“Hahaha you’re gonna have to keep holding out then,” Clint said.

“Aww! A boy! Congrats Clint! If you keep this up Laura and Lila are gonna be outnumbered,” Nat said, with a chuckle. 

“Haha funny. We won’t have to worry about that. Enough about us. What about you? How’s work?” 

“It’s. . .been fine.” She said with a pause. “Until yesterday” 

“What happened yesterday” he asked, narrowing his eyes as he sipped his sake. 

Leaning forward in her chair, Nat hesitantly said, “Well, there was a small mishap.” 

“Before you start. Does this end with you A) you killing a man, B)You getting fired, C) You going on the run or D) All of the above?” he said, dramatically listing off the options using his figures. 

“Ohhh no no no. Lil ole me? I would never! Scouts honor,” she said, holding up three fingers with a smirk on her face. She continued saying, “I mean. . . he doesn’t seem like the type to press charges and I didn’t get fired.” 

“Wow. So there’s a casualty in this so-called “mishap”? Spill,” Clint said, trying not to spit take his expensive sake. 

Nat quickly gives Clint the rundown on the events of the day before not sparing a single detail only pausing to place her order to the server. She mentioned mystery man (aka Bruce the goose Banner), scaring all her lululemon clade clients, getting screamed at by her boss, and lastly offering Bruce private lessons in a last ditch effort of avoiding getting sued. 

The moment she had finished her long winded story which took longer to tell because of Clint’s commentary their delicious food had arrived. Before diving into her customized spicy tuna crunchy sushi-burrito (sushirrito) she gracefully grabbed her black napkin with a flourish of the wrist splaying it out across her lap all the while Clint had already started chowing down. 

“So. What are your final thoughts on the situation?” she asked, picking up her sushirrito getting crunchy tempura flakes everywhere. 

“You. . .should. . . see a. . .therapist” Clint said between chews.

“I’ve been considering it. She said, giving Clint a sad and disgusted look before saying, “Also stop eating with your mouth full.”

“Sorry, I can refer you to the doctor I saw after retiring. He runs his own private practice and his credentials are great. His name is Dr. Stephen Strange, ” Clint said, sliding an old business card across the dinner table. 

Okay, thanks. Hopefully it’ll help me work through it all.” She said admiring the intricate design of an eye on the upper left corner of the old card. She wasn’t sure what “it all” really was. All she really was sure about was that “it all” had to be confronted one way or another.  
“No problem. If you’re gonna thank anyone you should thank Laura. She’s the one that forced me to go in the first place. My night terrors nearly induced her last labor.” Clint said, pulling Nat out of her own head and successfully lightening the mood. 

“Thanks Laura.” Nat said guesting to the room like Laura was some sort of omnipresent being. 

After talking about therapy a bit more their conversation went back to the more surface level topics which eventually lead to Clint's favorite topic, Natasha’s love life. At this point in their long friendship Nat suspected that Clint simply lived vicariously through Nat’s love life much like how Nat lives through his family life. Clint lived for every little detail the good, the bad, and the downright disgusting. Nat was in a quite the dry spell leaving Clint with no choice but to goat her into blind dates him and Laura orchestrate. 

“Soooo, has mystery man messaged you about a “private training session”? He asked, miming air quotes around the words “mystery man” 

“Unless I’m just really rusty I think he was sincerely just inquiring about a private training session.” She said looking Clint square in the face. When he didn’t seem all that convinced she finally had admitted to receiving a text from an unknown number that read as follows: 

Hey Natasha, it's Bruce Banner, the guy you body slammed yesterday. I was wondering if you are available for a private training session tomorrow and possibly a bite to eat? 

Clint then rolled his eyes and said, “Damn you are rusty. Just say yes!”


End file.
